Opinion: Is Hugo Chavez Dead or Alive?

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... I ... welcome back to Opinion Journal why Mary Kissel Venezuela delayed ... Chavez has inauguration today ... prompting even more speculation about his health ... and the political stability ... of that important country America's columnist Mary Anastasia O'Grady joins me now on set to discuss ... Mary where a Chavez ... in China was in Cuba ... exactly my Arrington about when someone on hospital room apparently ... aam but he was able to ... I'm ... not taking the oath of office but extend his presidency today in other words the Supreme Court ... an ounce today even though he was not able to ... come to Venice Whelan and stand before the National Assembly for the Supreme Court as the Constitution requires he will still remain president ... I and and and going to his next term which is six years answers and so grievous that settle the question important to you that as some analysts of alleged think they were beginning to see the beginnings of a constitutional crisis in Venezuela ... why don't think I mean generally when you think of a constitutional crisis you would think that the other side is going to have some leverage to push back and I think the opposition actually has any ... there to try to go through the organization American States and make the case that this is a violation of the Constitution ... in fact the Constitution provides for what would happen if the president is deemed ... permanently incapacitated ... and which case the vice president would I'm ... sorry in which case the president of the National family when takeover and I would be another election in thirty days and you know you would ... get a new president ... and it provides for what happens if the president ... who's already swine EU ... is temporarily incapacitated but it does not provide for a president who is not sworn in a president elect has not sworn in ... but who is somehow incapacitated and there's also a discussion about whether he is temporarily incapacitated ... or permanently incapacitated because his health is a state secret so Merry for viewers out there listening in California or New York or Florida or Iowa ... what do we care why is it matter that Venezuela ... gets through this in a way that the results it is constitutional Thompson ... into the future well I think the US has felt generally that I've democracies in the hemisphere are more stable ... and less likely to ... attack their neighbors and less lately likely to miss Street their own people and will look at this and ... many of his supporters in this country had maintained ... for a long time since he took office in nineteen ninety nine if you can believe it has received years ago ... Venice Whelan remains a democracy ... and democracies suggests that there is Clara was some ... there's an opportunity for dissent ... ay there's the quality end of the law there's the rule of law there's justice before the court ... and out you know in in that as we see you with this ruling ... that's more and more eroding I think I think that's very troubling in fact on one of the most important TV stations to ... remaining independent television stations ... is now being ... accused of inciting he traded over the course of this period because any body open their mouth and the opposition to suggest that ... you know there was a problem here with the Constitution it is I'm in uni and trouble with that with the government and that's where we're Supreme impresses a big issue okay well we're going to keep tabs and situation America's columnist Mary Anastasia O'Grady ... thank you for being with us ...